The fauna that Hawaii can claim is the variety of birds. Lately, a shama thrush has been visiting our small water fountain to take a bath. We know it’s here by its “tsk tsk” song. Other songs are more melodic.
- Shama thrush at Makaua, Oahu
“Our” shama thrush
17 09 2019
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Tags: shama, shama thrush
Categories : About me
Flora and fauna
30 08 2019Good morning, studio fans! Look what greeted me when I woke up: a pair of doggies and fresh blooms of white ginger.
JJ and Massimo
Amongst the red ti
Ahh, it’s a wonderful start of a successful day. On the calendar are finishing up one final volcano collage for my exhibit, a voice lesson, and a “Pau Hana” happy hour at my friend Kathryn’s. Hey, it’s Aloha Friday!
~Rebekah
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Tags: dogs, pets, white ginger, white ginger blossoms
Categories : About me
A party with my cousins
18 08 2019Waking up the morning after and recalling so many moments of yesterday, challenged to name the best of them, I settled on the cliché “A good time was had by all.” The occasion was a reunion of about 45 Chong cousins, including partners, from my mother’s side of the family. My mother was the youngest of 13 who lived to adulthood. We descend from Chong How Kong and Pan Siu Chin who met in an orphanage in China.
Aunty Rosa, widow of Kim Kiu was the sole representative of the 2nd generation (who came to Hawai‘i from China) and the only one still living because Kim Kiu married her when she was comparatively younger. And it was fun to see the youth of the 5th generation.
The photos I’m sharing here were made by Jerome Osurman. Thank you, Jerome! Thanks to everyone who participated!
Cousins gather for a lunch at the Kalihi Union Church Welcome Center in Honolulu.
On-screen interviews with small groups will be edited into a new video to come.
Hula maidens Meilin and Kiri. Hula dancer Verdine is on the screen. A video of past family reunions played throughout the day.
Unique table centerpieces composed of a ti-leaf-and-pink-ginger table wreath around a goodie bag of peanut sesame candy and colorful shrimp chips. Note individual favors.
Ashley, Kiri, and Larry peruse the table of door prizes.
Kiri draws the family tree of her grandparents’ clan.
Titus and Rebekah tell viewers it’s time for the younger generation to embrace the “torch.”
5G members Jayson and Aaron
Cousin Laurie, our chief planner extraordinaire
Rebekah (that’s me) offers grace.
A good time was had by all!
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Tags: Chong Family Reunion
Categories : About me, Friends & Family
My Hawaiian volcano collages
14 08 2019LouisPohl A new exhibit of my art opens on August 27 and extends to September 27, 2019, at LouisPohl Gallery on Bethel street in downtown Honolulu. I’d love to see you at the reception on First Friday evening of September 6. Home-baked chocolate cookies!
News photographs of the 2018 eruption of Kilauea Volcano inspired me to create images in collage. I decided to go big and abstract like the feeling I have when I think of Hawaii the big island. My original collection included pieces depicting the captivating orange fire of Pele, and happily those pieces are now in private residences. The remainder of the tissue paper paintings is in comparatively quieter colors. For unity I have created a new piece entitled “Crater View” in muted tones especially for this exhibit.
Love, Rebekah
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Tags: art, art exhibit, art show, collage, Fine Art, Honolulu, local art, Louis Pohl Gallery
Categories : About me, Fine Art, Travel
Kū Kia‘i Mauna
18 07 2019Stand, protectors of Mauna Kea. Eo!
In my head and in my heart all day long is the ho‘ōho (call) of “Kū Ha‘aheo E Ku‘u Hawai‘i,” a contemporary Hawaiian anthem composed by Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong. Here is the link:
Kū ha‘aheo e ku‘u Hawai‘i
Mamaka kaua o ku‘u ‘āina
‘O ke ehu kakahiaka o nā ‘oiwi o Hawai‘i nei
No ku‘u lahui e hā‘awi pu a i ola mau
Stand tall my Hawai‘i
Band of warriors of my land
The new dawn for our people of
Hawai‘i is upon us
For my nation I give my all so
that our legacy lives on
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Tags: Hawaiian, Hinaleimoana Wong, ku kiai mauna, Kumu Hina, Mauna Kea
Categories : About me, Hawaiian, Music, Poem
Crater view
9 07 2019
- Today’s palette of colored tissue paper
Just one more image. There’s a happy dent in my collection of “Fiery Volcano Collages” since three of the panels found their way to art patrons. But, a reputable gallery in downtown Honolulu has scheduled an exhibit of the collages for mid-August through September. Lucky me!
On looking at the complement, I feel the group of collages is not cohesive as is. To tie them all together I am making a picture of the “new” collapsed Kilauea crater in subdued mauve-to-neutral tones.
It looks simple, but it is not. I still will need to be mindful of turning the form, meaning, where will I put the lights, middle tones, darks? It depends on where the sun is shining from, in relation to the angle of the ground. Lava, in general, is one color.
Billowy textures of paper
My workshop cohort at Hoʻomaluhia Botanical Garden
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Tags: collage, crater, hand-dyed tissue paper, Hawaii, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Kilauea, lava, volcano, volcano art
Categories : About me, Fine Art, Hawaiian, Travel
Stuck in nowhere land
11 06 2019
Airports aren’t really anywhere, and neither are airplanes. I am on a journey from Honolulu to New York City, and at the moment I am on the second floor at an airport magazine kiosk and just picked out the dried mango and almonds from a package of trail mix for breakfast, downing the morsels with a cranberry drink.
I’ve just realized I will be in nowhere land at the San Jose, California, airport for about 12 hours. I arrived at this town last night and was told the temperature reached 108 degrees. This morning I had the bright idea of leaving the Motel 6 (by the way, a clean and adequate overnight accommodation for a single traveler) while it was cooler, for the airport. I envisioned hanging out at an air conditioned frequent flyer lounge, sit-down restaurants, and expensive gift shops.
San Jose Airport, it turns out, at least in the terminal I’m in, has only one lounge, and it is at gate such-and-such, but no matter. I cannot get to any gate without going through TSA security, and to do that one needs a boarding pass that I won’t have until 7 p.m. when I meet up with my group—a high school choir for which I have signed on as a chaperone. Had I been thinking, I would have cancelled the airport taxi and gone to the Denny’s across the motel parking lot for a better meal.
But, a silver lining! I see a grand piano yonder, between the elevator and the escalator. I think I’ll saunter over to play some tunes. Yes, yes, someone left a music collection of Chopin waltzes. I am never lonely when I play piano.
Tomorrow morning our group will land in The Big Apple, and the real adventure will begin.
~ Rebekah
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Categories : About me, Travel
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